Store-service apparatus



(No Model.)

W. H. BRUNDAGE.

STORE SERVICE APPARATUS.

Pitented Nova 9, 1%

ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WVILLIAM HENRY BRUNDAGE, OF HUDSON, NEWV YORK STORE-SERVICE APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 593,458, dated November 9, 1897.

Application filed December l0 1896. Serial No. 615,079- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM HENRY BRUN- DAGE, of Hudson, in the county of Columbia and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Store-Service Apparatus, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of myinvention is to provide certain new and useful improvements in storeservice apparatus, whereby the carriage is propelled in a simple and efiective manner without the use of previously-stored-up power and received and securely held in the receiving end without much jar to the apparatus.

The invention consists principally of a spring-pressed picker-stick adapted to engage and move the carriage backward into a propelling position and a compound-lever mechanism for drawing the said picker-stick rearward with the carriage into a propelling position and then suddenly releasing the stick to send the carriage over the line.

The invention also consists of certain parts and details and combinations of the same, as will be fully described hereinafter and then pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improvement. Fig. 2 is a plan View of the same with the carriage at the receiving end. Fig. 3 is.

an enlarged sectional side elevation of the carriage. Fig. 4c is a transverse section of the same on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a transverse section of the ball-bearing for the carriage. Fig. 6 is an enlarged end elevation of the receiver, and Fig. 7 is a plan view of a modified form of carriage.

The improved apparatus is provided with a standard A, fastened to the ceiling or other support, and carrying one end of an inclined wireway B, the other end of which is supported in any desired manner, the wire being stretched tight between the two supports, so as to permit of readily propelling the carriage C over the wire. The carriage O is provided with a suitable removable money-box D, as indicated in the drawings.

On the lower end of the standard A is formed a block A, on which is fulcrumed at E a picker-stick E, extending upwardly and forwardly, to straddle with its forked free end E the wireway B, the said forked end being adapted to engage a staple C, projecting longitudinally from the rear end of the carriage C. A lug A? on the block A limits the outward swinging motion of the picker-stick E, and the latter is formed on its back with a guide-arm E fastened at its lower end on a transverse bar E rigidly secured to the picker-stick E near its pivot end E. Rods F extend through openings in the bar E and the rods are fulcrumed at F to the standard A, and on each rod is coiled a spring F resting with its forward end on the cross-bar E and at its rear end on a collar F or nut adjustably secured to the corresponding rod F, to permit of regulating the tension of the springs according to the force required to send the carriage over a short or long wireway.

The guide-arm E is adapted to be engaged by a friction-roller G, journaled on a transversely-extending pin G, carried by the free end of a lever H, formed on its lower end with a handle H, adapted to be taken hold of by the operator when actuating the apparatus for sending the carriage C over the wireway B by the picker-stick E, as hereinafter more fully described.

The lever H is curved, as indicated in Fig. l, and is formed at its curved portion with a slot H engaged by a pin or friction-roller I, held on a bracket A extending from the standard A. The pin or roller-I forms a fulcrum for the lever H to swingon and also a guide for moving the Ieverdownward, so as to engage the friction-roller G with the guide: arm E between the guide-arm and the back of the picker-stick E. The pin G is pivotally connected with toggle-lever links J and J, pivotally connected by links J 2 J 3 with a pin J held on the standard A A spring J 5 is attached at one end to the standard A and presses with its other end on one of the links of the toggle-lever, so as to hold the latter normally in a closed position and to assist in closing the same after the toggle-lever has" been opened by the action of the lever H and after the picker-stick E has been released and the carriage C sent over the line to return, the said lever H to its normal position. (Shown infull lines, Fig. 1.)

The carriage O has a longitudinal bore for the passage of the wireway B and is provided with a hinged cover 0 adapted to be locked to the body by a suitable catch K, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 4:.

In the carriage O is secured a cylindrical bushing L, supporting grooved wheels N, engaging the wireway B at the top and bottom, the said wheels being located approximately near the middle of the carriage, as is plainly shown in Fig. 3. In order to reduce the friction of the carriage traveling on the wireway B, I provide ball-bearings comprising balls 0, surrounding the wireway B- and held in chambers L, formed transversely in the cylindrical bushing L. (See Fig. 3.)

Now itwill be seen that. by the arrangement. described the Wireway B extends through the carriage G and is engaged by the balls 0 and the grooved wheels N, whereby the friction will be reduced and the tendencyof the carriage to sway transversely during its. movement from one point to another is in a measure counteracted.

At the receiving end of the apparatus is arranged a device P for engaging and holding the frontend of the carriage, so as to prevent undue jar tothewhole apparatus and securely hold the carriage in place after it reaches said end- This device P is preferably made with twosections P and P engaging the wireway- Band securely clamped thereto at any desired point by a suitable clip Q. (Shown in Figs 1 and 6.);

From one. or both ends of the sections P and P extend the; curved gripping-arms P preferably four in number and eachformed at its outer end with a ball P adapted to travel up. the, conical end (3* of the carriage, to pass over an annular ridge or bead and fall in behind the latter, so as tosecurelyhold the carriage in place at the end of the line, as indicated in- Fig. 2. Thus when the carriage O is propelled to the end of theliue the conical end 0 passes in between the several balls P and opens the arms P until theballs finally pass over and behind the ridge (l -tosecurely hold the carriage in place and prevent its rebounding,

tion-rol'le-r- G passes to; the; front of the guide.- 4

arm E between the latterand the back of the picker-stick E, as shown in dot-and-d-ash lines in- Fig. 1. In doing so the toggle-lever, composed of the: links I J .1 1 opens, and theoperator then on swinging the handle H forward in the direction of the arrowat causes that the free. end thereof engages the staple G and carries the carriage; C- rearward into a propelling position, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1. By the operator swinging the picker-stick E rearward, as described, the springs F on the rods F are compressed, and

the operator on further pulling the lever H forward in the direction of the arrow a finally draws the friction-roller G over the free end of the guide-arm E so that the latter is released, and with it the picker-stick E, and the latter by the force of the springs F is sudcarriage 0 forward along the wireway B.

= Now it will be seen that when the picker-stick E swings forward and pushes on the carriage C the free end of the picker-stick finally becomes disengaged from the staple C, so that the carriage 0 travels forward on the. unobstructed wireway B.

conical end 0 into the. wire arms P aspreviously described,tointerrupt the movement of the carriage and tosecurely hold the same in place.

Instead of using a staple C on the carriage O, I may use other means; For instance, as

shown in Fig. 7,. I provide the carriage. C at its rear end with arms 0, having inwardl y and forwardly projecting spring-tongues O",

' adapted tobe engaged by the freef'orkedend E of the picker-stick E. The action of the picker-stick E on the spring-tongues is similarto the one described in reference to the staple O".

Having thus fully described my invention,

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1.. A store-servicev apparatus, provided with i a pivoted and spring-pressed picker-stick, and means for drawing the picker-stick rearwardly to compress its. spring and to then suddenly release the. said stick, substantially as v and for the purpose set forth.

2. A store-service apparatus, comprising a pivoted and spring-pressed picker-stick, and a lever mechanism for drawing the pickerstick rearwardly to compress its spring and to then suddenly release the said stick, substantially as described. The operation is as follows: WVhen the sevl A store-service apparatus, comprising a to draw the stick rearward tocompress its spring, and means for releasing the lever-from 5. A store-service apparatus, comprising. a pivoted and spr1ng-pressed picker-stick for propelling the carriage over the line, a guide- When the carriage reaches the receiving end, it passes, with its pivoted and spring-pressed pickerstick, a guide-arm on saidpicker-stick, a lever adapted toengagethe guide-arm of the picker-stick to movethe picker-stick rearward to-compress itsspring, and a. toggle-lever connected with the lever, substantially as described.

a. rearward swinging of the picker-stick E, so

arm on the said picker-stick, a lever mounted to swing and to slide and carrying a frictionroller for engagement with the said guidearm, and a toggle-lever connected with the said lever, as set forth.

6. Astore-service apparatus, comprising a support, a pivoted picker-stick, a transverse bar secured to the pivoted end of the said stick, a guide-arm secured to the said bar, rods fulcrumed on the support and projecting through openings in the transverse bars, coiled springs on the rods between shoulders thereon and the transverse bar, and means for swinging the picker-stick on its pivot to compress the said springs and then to suddenly release the stick, substantially as described. I

7. A store-service apparatus, comprising a support, a picker-stick pivoted to the support, a transverse bar secured to the pickerstick, a guide-arm secured to the said bar,- rods pivoted to the support and projecting through openings in the transverse bar, springs on the rods, a pivoted and sliding lever, the upper end of the lever being adapted to engage the guide-arm, and a toggle connected with the upper end of the said lever, substantially as herein shown and described. 8. In a store-service apparatus, a carriage having a central longitudinal bore, ball-bearin gs, and oppositely-disposed grooved wheels, said bearings and wheels being arranged adj acent to said longitudinal bore, substantially as shown and described.

WILLIAM HENRY BRUNDAGE. Witnesses:

ABRAHAM S. PEET, FRED S. HALLENBECK. 

